TV News LIES

Ukraine has called on Israel to arrest a shipment of grain allegedly originating from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories after it arrived at the Port of Haifa aboard the Russian vessel ABINSK, which Kyiv links to Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet.”

According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the vessel may be involved in operations used by Russia to “illegally export, transport, and sell stolen Ukrainian grain” from occupied territories and finance its war against Ukraine.

Despite Ukraine’s request, the cargo was allowed to be unloaded, a fact corroborated by Kyiv Post’s sources at the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel, which previously called on Jerusalem to thoroughly examine the cargo.

The vessel has since departed.

The shipment – estimated at 43,765 tonnes of wheat – was reportedly loaded at Russia’s Kavkaz port and is believed to originate from Ukrainian regions under Russian occupation.

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When Bug got home from school one winter afternoon in late 2024, his mother was on the couch, watching 30 Rock re-runs. Bug sat down next to her; he had an announcement to make.

Bug, who was assigned female at birth, told his mother he was a boy — and would be using he/him pronouns.

"OK, cool," his mother, J, remembers saying. Bug, who was in sixth grade at the time, had previously come out as non-binary, but this felt like an even bigger step.

"We started talking about, like, 'What are you wanting to have happen? What do you need to be supported?'" J said. "And he asked to get health care."

Bug is a nickname, and his mother asked NPR to identify Bug that way, and identify her by her first initial, J, because the family fears harassment.

This was the kind of moment J had been anticipating for a while. She felt immensely grateful that the family had left Texas in 2024, and resettled in western Massachusetts, a state with laws that she felt were more supportive of bodily autonomy, and a culture more welcoming of diverse lifestyles.

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A shovel, hand weights and a construction hat now displayed in the foyer of New York City Hall are symbols of what Mayor Zohran Mamdani says are the "pothole politics" behind key achievements in his first 100 days in office. That's where we started our conversation this week during a wide-ranging interview for NPR's Newsmakers video podcast.

Sitting in the ornate Blue Room of City Hall underneath a portrait of Alexander Hamilton, a founding father who helped shape the nation, 34-year-old Mamdani ticked off all that he's been able to get done on his list of promises to voters:

"On day eight, we delivered $1.2 billion to make universal child care a reality across our city."

"We secured more than $30 million in settlements with bad landlords, [and] repaired more than 6069 apartments."

"We were able to secure nearly $100,000 a day for workers and small businesses that had been exploited by mega-corporations and delivery apps."

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Iran will shut the strait of Hormuz if the US blockade continues, Iran’s parliamentary speaker has warned.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also said passage through the waterway would depend on authorisation from Iran, while swiping at Donald Trump in the series of posts on X.

Ghalibaf said (in a translation):

1 - "The President of the United States made seven claims in one hour, all seven of which were false.

2 – They did not win the war with these lies, and they will certainly not get anywhere in negotiations either.”

Ghalibaf, who last weekend co-led the Iranian side in negotiations with the US in Islamabad that failed to reach an agreement, continued in his posts:

3 –" With the continuation of the blockade, the Strait of Hormuz will not remain open.

4  – Passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be conducted based on the “designated route” and with “Iranian authorization”.

Whether the strait was open or closed and the regulations governing it “will be determined by the field, not by social media”, Ghalibaf added.

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A San Francisco-based coffee chain that sparked backlash with a policy to remove Pride flags from their stores has reversed its decision over a week later.

“I made a mistake and I am sincerely sorry,” said Mahesh Sadarangani, the chief executive of Philz Coffee, in a statement on Friday. “The Pride flag is a symbol of safety and belonging for people who don’t always find that in the world, and that is not something I want to take away from https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/17/philz-coffee-pride-flags-californiaanyone who walks into a Philz."

Last week, in a statement to the Guardian, Sadarangani framed the move as a step toward inclusivity. He said other flags would also come down for consistency.

Backlash from Philz Coffee’s workers and customers was swift. An online petition expressing opposition to the policy, which appeared to be started by company baristas, racked up more than 7,300 signatures. The company has built a reputation on being an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

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The University of Michigan regent Jordan Acker, who helped lead the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian students, appears to have made obscene sexual comments about a Democratic party strategist in a group chat, messages provided to the Guardian reveal. The Slack messages, attributed to Acker, also include lewd comments about a female U-M student and a picture of her with her friends.

The messages were shared with the Guardian just days before a heated primary convention election for two open U-M board of regents seats. The board is the university’s governing body, and the usually low-profile race is especially tense this year as pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian candidates compete for seats. The race has become a local flashpoint in the broader battle over criticism of Israel on campuses.

Acker is known to be a confrontational, pro-Israel leader at the large public university. He is an attorney who helped recruit the Michigan attorney general to bring highly unusual prosecutions against students, and, while he was on the board, it led a sprawling undercover surveillance operation against the students. The prosecutions and surveillance operations were dAcker is known to be a confrontational, pro-Israel leader at the large public university. He is an attorney who helped recruit the Michigan attorney general to bring highly unusual prosecutions against students, and, while he was on the board, it led a sprawling undercover surveillance operation against the students. The prosecutions and surveillance operations were dropped after Guardian stories on each. Acker has also drawn criticism for leading the university as it dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative amid pressure from Donald Trump.ropped after Guardian stories on each. Acker has also drawn criticism for leading the university as it dismantled its diversity, equity and inclusion initiative amid pressure from Donald Trump.

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State and local prosecutors in Minnesota charged an ICE officer Thursday with two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon.

The criminal charges appear to be the first against a federal immigration officer for actions allegedly taken while on duty during the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year.

"Today's charges reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge," Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said at a press conference on Thursday announcing the charges.

The officer is identified in the complaint as 35-year-old Gregory Donnell Morgan, Jr., a Maryland resident who was part of ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division at the time of the incident and had been detailed to the Minneapolis area.

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A US blockade of Iran’s ports is in place with President Donald Trump warning that any vessels approaching the blockade of Iranian shipping would be “immediately eliminated.”

“Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED… It is quick and brutal,” Trump wrote on social media, referring to Iranian naval vessels.

The US military on Monday began enforcing a blockade of Iranian ports, targeting maritime traffic linked to Tehran after weeks of war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

Since the conflict in the Middle East began on Feb. 28, Iran has effectively restricted access to the Strait of Hormuz, allowing passage only under its control and subject to fees. The narrow corridor previously carried nearly 20% of global oil and gas flows.

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